Featured Element - Frames

Back by request, the Featured Element column in which I choose a general element category and find various layouts and products that provide ideas for incorporating the element in layouts. Frames appear to be latest element of choice among scrappers and designers. Frame clusters, bent frames and ribbon-wrapped frames have become standard offerings in most digital scrapping stores.

Here are 7 ideas for incorporating various styles of frames into your pages. Click on any layout to see the page in a gallery with credits or any product to go to that product in the store.

1) Use frames to facilitate photo clusters. Photo clusters are a popular way to arrange multiple photos on a page, such as this page by CathyRose.



Nancy Comelab's Photoclusters are a great option for easily arranging photos in clustered frames. Her sets come with realistic touches such as curled corners and custom shadowing. For other photo arranging frame aids, check out Christine Nash's Slice It templates, my Framed products or Ztampf's Naked Frames.

2) Add grunge edges to a photo. Grungy frames works great for boy pages and are an excellent way to accent a photo without using a formal frame. The grunge frame in Robyn's Waiting for Daddy adds emphasis to the photo and provides a great visual contrast to the white.



Robyn used elements from her kit For the Blokes and Grunge Me Brushes to achieve the grunge in this layout. For other grunge framing options you can take a look at Rina's Shabby Inked Frames, or Frame It! Grunge by Vera Lim.

3) Use a frame to define a space. Frame don't always have to go around photos. I love the way Laura used a simple black frame to create a subspace on her page that she filled with photos and a few other elements.



4) Filmstrip elements are a great way to display multiple photos as done is this beautiful page by marnel.



5) It doesn't have to be a frame to function as one. A frame is anything that provides a border or helps define a space. In Miles and Miles of Smiles I used a heart element to frame one of my photos.



6) Wrap your frame in string, ribbon or anything else you can image. Frames with such trappings are very popular right now and you can find them everywhere. I really like these String-Alongs recently released by Betty Jo Martin.



Other great wrapped frame products include; Christina Renee's Skinny Minis (not frames, but designed to be wrapped around any frame or object) and Victoria Feemster's Banded Paper Frames.

Also, Ikeagoddess has a great tutorial on her blog for those who would like to try their own ribbon wrapping.

7) Incorporate words, swirls and other design elements in your framing. This can be easily accomplished by simply writing a word or journaling along one edge of your frame. Lisa Habisreutinger has taken the concept one step further with her two-toned frames.




I hope this column has provided a bit of inspiration. Have a great day everyone.